Matt Lauer had little patience with HHS Secretary

[graciegirl]

ADDED LATER.....I was wrong. This woman was the head of Health and Human Services...not the CDC.

If you watched the Today Show this morning, you would have seen how very direct the interview became between Matt Lauer and the "Madame Secretary" of Health and Human Services.

She was left looking unprepared and angry and that is just how I feel. She kept spouting rhetoric and not answering his questions directly.

Two health workers have contracted the Disease at the Texas hospital and the reason appears to be that the information needed to protect them was missing and lacking due to the time it took the CDC to send a crisis team.

She deflected the answer to the question about if they would be more effectively cared for by the two hospitals who.."know what they're doing".

I am NOT happy with how the government is handling this awful crisis.

http://www.today.com/video/today/56237653#56237653

[Taltarzac725]

If you watched the Today Show this morning, you would have seen how very direct the interview became between Matt Lauer and the "Madame Secretary" of the Center for Disease Control

She was left looking unprepared and angry and that is just how I feel. She kept spouting rhetoric and not answering his questions directly.

Two health workers have contracted the Disease at the Texas hospital and the reason appears to be that the information needed to protect them was missing and lacking due to the time it took the CDC to send a crisis team.

She deflected the answer to the question about if they would be more effectively cared for by the two hospitals who.."know what they're doing".

I am NOT happy with how the government is handling this awful crisis.

Not happy with the CDC's response either.

[Happinow]

I also am not happy with the response, better yet lack thereof, of our government. It seems like a no brainier to me to close the boarders and stop all incoming flights from affected countries. If people travel abroad, ie Libera, check their passport when coming into the US. Don't check their temperature. That way, nobody can lie about where they came from and we will be able to tell who has been in places that are at risk. Don't let those people back in our country for 30 days.

[Madelaine Amee]

I also am not happy with the response, better yet lack thereof, of our government. It seems like a no brainier to me to close the boarders and stop all incoming flights from affected countries. If people travel abroad, ie Libera, check their passport when coming into the US. Don't check their temperature. That way, nobody can lie about where they came from and we will be able to tell who has been in places that are at risk. Don't let those people back in our country for 30 days.

The world is "flat" and you cannot stop Ebola coming into this country by just stopping flights from Liberia. By now, this infection is spread across the world, Spain has it and so do many other countries. Let the experts do the worrying, they know a hell of a lot more than we do!

[graciegirl]

The world is "flat" and you cannot stop Ebola coming into this country by just stopping flights from Liberia. By now, this infection is spread across the world, Spain has it and so do many other countries. Let the experts do the worrying, they know a hell of a lot more than we do!


I think that Happinow is thinking along the lines that we may have wished in the future, we had thought. It is a VIRUS. Keep anymore people infected with it from arriving until the "experts" know "a hell of a lot more than we do".

[gomoho]

The world is "flat" and you cannot stop Ebola coming into this country by just stopping flights from Liberia. By now, this infection is spread across the world, Spain has it and so do many other countries. Let the experts do the worrying, they know a hell of a lot more than we do!

REALLY???? Those experts are doing a real bang up job so far. Should have nipped it in the bud.

[Madelaine Amee]

I think that Happinow is thinking along the lines that we may have wished in the future, we had thought. It is a VIRUS. Keep anymore people infected with it from arriving until the "experts" know "a hell of a lot more than we do".

You cannot stop planes coming into this country. As you well know, planes do not make direct flights from one country to another, they frequently stop in various destinations on the way to the USA and then into Europe. How are you thinking we are going to stop this virus from traveling across the world?

Also, let's not forget cargo ships which travel from port to port picking up and delivering, their staff go off the ship in these ports and come into contact with many virus'/infections which then go back onto the ship and continue on to their next port of call.

There is no easy fix for this problem and I don't think we know anything about how to stop it spreading, and I'm sure if the Government knew how to contain it they would gladly do so. It is going to end up costing thousands of dollars before this is done.

[Madelaine Amee]

REALLY???? Those experts are doing a real bang up job so far. Should have nipped it in the bud.

Nipped it in the bud ----------------- It was well and truly established before it got out into the rest of the world and, therefore, people were traveling with it without knowing they had it.

[PennBF]

It is all politics and politics is "power and control". It is sad that she along with the Dr. in charge of the CDC were more concerned with their careers than truthfulness and openess. Of course we are not stopping air traffic from Africa since it would have a negative impact on the airlines/touristism and they have very large groups of people in Washington working to protect their revenue and profits. The sin of all of this is the impact it has on protecting our citizens from a further outbreak of embola. Of course we will have more cases with citizens/visitors going and coming from Africa. It is naive to believe anything other than that! When this happens the only answer is corruption. This may sound strong but with people dying because traffic with Africa will not be shut off it becomes the answer. Think of UK and France, etc. who have stopped flights in and out of Africa. WHY?:ohdear:

[sunnyatlast]

It is all politics and politics is "power and control". It is sad that she along with the Dr. in charge of the CDC were more concerned with their careers than truthfulness and openess. Of course we are not stopping air traffic from Africa since it would have a negative impact on the airlines/touristism and they have very large groups of people in Washington working to protect their revenue and profits. The sin of all of this is the impact it has on protecting our citizens from a further outbreak of embola. Of course we will have more cases with citizens/visitors going and coming from Africa. It is naive to believe anything other than that! When this happens the only answer is corruption. This may sound strong but with people dying because traffic with Africa will not be shut off it becomes the answer. Think of UK and France, etc. who have stopped flights in and out of Africa. WHY?:ohdear:

Why? Because UK and France etc. probably are more concerned about stopping the worst epidemic afoot in modern times than they are about political correctness essential to campaigners for an election in 3 weeks!!

And maybe they are listening to the UN being useful and responsible at a time like this:

Sixty Days To Beat Ebola, United Nations Warns (http://news.sky.com/story/1352857/sixty-days-to-beat-ebola-united-nations-warns)

[Pointer]

We have much to learn about being part of a global community. Feels very similar to when Aids started. We put our heads in the sand until it started hitting home, by then it was a much bigger problem.

The UK and France can try to shut it out but I fear this will only slightly delay the inevitable. We humans have another virus that is going to do a lot of damage before we figure out a vaccine or meds that will be effective. I think we need to learn to listen to our scientists and have that field represented in more of our governing positions.

[graciegirl]

The person being interviewed is the head of Health and Human Services not the CDC. That to me is somewhat a relief. I am sorry that I posted incorrectly.

She sure wasn't a person that I would put my trust in.

I walked in after the beginning of the interview and incorrectly surmised she was in charge of the CDC.

She is "Madame Secretary" because she is in charge of Health and Human Services I don't like her.

http://www.today.com/video/today/56237653#56237653

[Boudicca]

The simplistic temperature taking is a farce. All one had to do prior to travelling, is to chug down a bunch of aspirin and iced drinks prior to getting in line for temperature taking. Desperate people will resort to desperate measures. This very scenario was finally mentioned by the CDC when speaking of controlling air travel. When I was a child, Polio was the killer. We spent the summer away from public places and only travelled when very necessary.

[graciegirl]

The M.D.s who post on here have been very silent on this subject. To me, this is on the same level of weapons of mass destruction.

The whole darn dog and pony show in Washington is mishandling this and it will kill people we love before it's over.

[Boudicca]

Many of us "spoke" here recently of dangerous days to come. They are here and I am grateful of my Faith.

[Indydealmaker]

You cannot stop planes coming into this country. As you well know, planes do not make direct flights from one country to another, they frequently stop in various destinations on the way to the USA and then into Europe. How are you thinking we are going to stop this virus from traveling across the world?

Also, let's not forget cargo ships which travel from port to port picking up and delivering, their staff go off the ship in these ports and come into contact with many virus'/infections which then go back onto the ship and continue on to their next port of call.

There is no easy fix for this problem and I don't think we know anything about how to stop it spreading, and I'm sure if the Government knew how to contain it they would gladly do so. It is going to end up costing thousands of dollars before this is done.

Each person originating from an infected area of the world and/or stopping there have a stamp on their passport. Using this information, each of those individuals could be quarantined upon their arrival to the U.S. If they don't want to be quarantined, then they have that choice by not attempting entry to the states.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Blah, blah, blah, blah....anything but answer the questions. Even after Lauer stop her and said, "Madam Secretary, with all due respect, you did not answer my question" she continued with more blah, blah blah. I was really disappointed that Lauer didn't call her on that. He really should have asked, "So do you intend to answer my question or not?"

As much as he appeared to be a bit impatient, it was really a pretty weak interview. As far as "with all due respect" he should have given her as much respect as she gave his questions. After not answering him twice, he should have lit into her. Politicians don't answer questions and and reporters continue to allow them to get away with it.

[Madelaine Amee]

Closing airports in England and France to flights from Africa is just another political ploy which makes them look good to their citizens, they can close off direct flights to their airports and what about the airports in Europe where they can easily get off one plane and get on another from Turkey, Spain, Germany, Greece, Italy and come into England and France? Plus, let us not forget that the European passport will let you cross borders from one country to another.

Ebola is a plague, just like any of the other plague. It thrives in filth, open sewers, body fluids from one person to another. What we really need to do is find the antibiotic to help to control it and I am sure this is #1 in the science field.

What I think we ought to do with Ebola is bottle it - drop it on Isis and sit back and wait ............... this is tongue in cheek ............ not serious, but wishful thinking on my part!

[graciegirl]

Closing airports in England and France to flights from Africa is just another political ploy which makes them look good to their citizens, they can close off direct flights to their airports and what about the airports in Europe where they can easily get off one plane and get on another from Turkey, Spain, Germany, Greece, Italy and come into England and France? Plus, let us not forget that the European passport will let you cross borders from one country to another.

Ebola is a plague, just like any of the other plague. It thrives in filth, open sewers, body fluids from one person to another. What we really need to do is find the antibiotic to help to control it and I am sure this is #1 in the science field.

What I think we ought to do with Ebola is bottle it - drop it on Isis and sit back and wait ............... this is tongue in cheek ............ not serious, but wishful thinking on my part!


A virus does not respond to an antibiotic. The spread has nothing to do with filth. It is a microorganism that is 90 percent deadly to those who are infected. There is a way to keep people safer other than taking their temperatures at airports.

[NotGolfer]

Many of us "spoke" here recently of dangerous days to come. They are here and I am grateful of my Faith.

I agree with MANY of the comments on this post! My take too is "fear is a way of control" as well! In the Bible it speaks of a plague in the 'last days'...many had thought that HIV might be that plague but......
Just wondering!!

Shrandell...I too am grateful for my Faith!!

[gomoho]

[QUOTE=Madelaine Amee;953224]Closing airports in England and France to flights from Africa is just another political ploy which makes them look good to their citizens, they can close off direct flights to their airports and what about the airports in Europe where they can easily get off one plane and get on another from Turkey, Spain, Germany, Greece, Italy and come into England and France? Plus, let us not forget that the European passport will let you cross borders from one country to another.

Why wouldn't the previous post of not allowing anyone in the country that has a stamp on their passport from Liberia be denied entrance to the US work? I'm sure word would spread like wildfire "don't try to get in the US". At least it is something better than taking people's temperatures and relying on them to be truthful. We saw how that worked out with Mr. Duncan.

[jflynn1]

What would make you happy ? What would you suggest?
The news organizations are doing a great job playing monday morning quaterbacks.
Perhaps they shopuld go back to just reporting the news.
To many with opinions of their own with very little to back them up.
I think everyone is doing the best they can in a situation that we have never faced before. .
JS Flynn

[Bizdoc]

But it isn't the first time that we have faced large numbers of people who may have been exposed to highly contagious diseases. Ellis Island and other "receiving stations" were created for just that purpose.

Two things happened. We became convinced that everything could be cured with a pill or a shot. And the politicats decided that having a large Public Health Service cost too much. So... in the late 60s and 70s, PHS was mostly dismantled, clinics, offices, and hospitals closed. CDC was expected to be able to sit back and handle the few cases of infectious diseases that made to the US.

Sound like hubris? It is. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

[CFrance]

Each person originating from an infected area of the world and/or stopping there have a stamp on their passport. Using this information, each of those individuals could be quarantined upon their arrival to the U.S. If they don't want to be quarantined, then they have that choice by not attempting entry to the states.
Yes, Indy, but the stamps are not placed in any particular order. I'm looking at my passport now, and it took me a good while to find the stamp from last night in Miami when we came home from Europe. On the first page, for instance, are stamps from 2008, 2012, 2013. Next page has two from '14. Page after that is '09. Page after that is '13. In 2000, when we drove from Italy to Switzerland, the Swiss didn't even stamp our passports at the border. They looked, but they didn't stamp. And some of the stamps are barely legible because the ink needed to be changed in the stamper or they stamped across the fold.

There's usually 350-500 people coming off a plane from overseas. It would be a logistical nightmare to find where each person had been by checking their passports. And like somebody else mentioned, you could have been in Africa, flown to, say, Amsterdam, waited a day or two, changed airlines/itineraries altogether and come to the states.

If I were someone getting sick in Africa, I would lie, dissemble, use whatever means possible to get to a first-world country where the absolute best medical care would be available.

Perhaps keeping planes from these African countries from landing in the states would look good and ease people's fear; I personally don't believe it would stop the spread.

[kittygilchrist]

The person being interviewed is the head of Health and Human Services not the CDC. That to me is somewhat a relief. I am sorry that I posted incorrectly.

She sure wasn't a person that I would put my trust in.

I walked in after the beginning of the interview and incorrectly surmised she was in charge of the CDC.

She is "Madame Secretary" because she is in charge of Health and Human Services I don't like her.

HHS secretary on Ebola: 'I do have confidence in the CDC' - Video on TODAY.com (http://www.today.com/video/today/56237653#56237653)

Cdc head is apologetic for being reactive vs proactive. Potus talked to him 40 seconds and went golfing after 1 st nurse victim identified.
Gov is joke upon joke. Spokesperson for WH looks like a complete idiot still, today, we are a laughingstock, sitting duck and a mockery of democracy.

[maddie101]

Customs scans the bar code. Wouldn't first point of entry in USA know where you were the past 21 days?

[perrjojo]

Customs scans the bar code. Wouldn't first point of entry in USA know where you were the past 21 days?m
YES!

[CFrance]

Some countries don't scan. Your history would then not show up upon entry into the US. For instance, nobody knew we left Italy and entered Switzerland--nothing stamped or scanned when we left one and entered the other.